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Santolsa Saga #2
Summer of 1984
When Jack gets a second chance at love, he knows he has to take it, even if it means leaving his entire life behind and time travelling to 1984.
Jack can’t wait to leave his high school tormentors, his ex and his junior office clerk job in the past. But living in 1984 isn’t the bright future he’d hoped for either. Working as a server at the diner and sleeping on his English teacher’s couch was not part of the plan.
But a trip to LA changes everything. Jack comes up with an idea for how he can make a lot of money from this time travelling thing, and he meets someone who turns his whole world around.
Will Jack heed the warnings of using time travel for financial gain? Even if it means all his wildest dreams could come true?And will Jack finally find true love?
Find out in Summer of 1984, the follow up to the Amazon best seller Class of 1983.
Like a Back to the Future Part II, Valley Girl and Sixteen Candles mash-up with a dash of Sweet Valley High for good measure, this is a story about facing your demons, heartache and hope, and the power to choose who you want to be in the future.
Part 2 of the Santolsa Saga - best read in order
Jack can’t wait to leave his high school tormentors, his ex and his junior office clerk job in the past. But living in 1984 isn’t the bright future he’d hoped for either. Working as a server at the diner and sleeping on his English teacher’s couch was not part of the plan.
But a trip to LA changes everything. Jack comes up with an idea for how he can make a lot of money from this time travelling thing, and he meets someone who turns his whole world around.
Will Jack heed the warnings of using time travel for financial gain? Even if it means all his wildest dreams could come true?And will Jack finally find true love?
Find out in Summer of 1984, the follow up to the Amazon best seller Class of 1983.
Like a Back to the Future Part II, Valley Girl and Sixteen Candles mash-up with a dash of Sweet Valley High for good measure, this is a story about facing your demons, heartache and hope, and the power to choose who you want to be in the future.
Part 2 of the Santolsa Saga - best read in order
412 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2019
3 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Maxwell
8 books74 followersVictoria "Vix" Maxwell is the best-selling young adult fiction author of the Santolsa Saga series, author of Witch, Please: Empowerment and Enlightenment for the Modern Mystic published by HarperCollins and the Angels Among Us Oracle published by Rockpool Publishing.
Vix is the creator of New Age Hipster, a spiritual home for good witches, lightworkers, starseeds and spiritual seekers.
An ex-high school English, Drama and Autism Specialist teacher, Vix is a lifelong lover of magic and stories. Her interests include road trips, stone circles, book shops, thrift shops, vegan pizza, sweet potato fries, rainy days and 80s movies.
Vix is the creator of New Age Hipster, a spiritual home for good witches, lightworkers, starseeds and spiritual seekers.
An ex-high school English, Drama and Autism Specialist teacher, Vix is a lifelong lover of magic and stories. Her interests include road trips, stone circles, book shops, thrift shops, vegan pizza, sweet potato fries, rainy days and 80s movies.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 17, 2022
This is a sequel to Class of 1983 which was a fantastic time travel romance read. While Summer of 1984 did have the classic three elements of Time Travel, The 80’s and Nostalgia it was not as good a read as Class of 1983.
This sequel focus is on Jack who is Peggy’s (otherwise known as Magz, the main character in Class of 1983) friend. He too travels through time. The year? 1984. He finds the love of his life and has an idea on how to make money via time travel. He must be careful as he could create various timelines which might not be all that good!
Although I have written all about time travel the story had more focus on the romance side which does not appeal to me so much. The story did seem a touch long as the constant question of will they get together or not and who will get with who played out many times. It also has the tale of leaving school in that last summer and entering adulthood. If you like romance with a time travel element, then this book has it all
I prefer time travel with a romance element. It was still a good read, and I loved the 80’s setting.
I read the “About The Author” at the end of the book and who would have thought we would have so much in common!
Pizza Lover – check!
Watching 80’s movies – check!
Scouring through thrift stores for vintage treasures – check!
Listening to power ballads – check
Hanging out with rescue cats – check!
This sequel focus is on Jack who is Peggy’s (otherwise known as Magz, the main character in Class of 1983) friend. He too travels through time. The year? 1984. He finds the love of his life and has an idea on how to make money via time travel. He must be careful as he could create various timelines which might not be all that good!
Although I have written all about time travel the story had more focus on the romance side which does not appeal to me so much. The story did seem a touch long as the constant question of will they get together or not and who will get with who played out many times. It also has the tale of leaving school in that last summer and entering adulthood. If you like romance with a time travel element, then this book has it all
I prefer time travel with a romance element. It was still a good read, and I loved the 80’s setting.
I read the “About The Author” at the end of the book and who would have thought we would have so much in common!
Pizza Lover – check!
Watching 80’s movies – check!
Scouring through thrift stores for vintage treasures – check!
Listening to power ballads – check
Hanging out with rescue cats – check!
December 14, 2019
I jumped at the chance to be a beta reader, and boy did this book deliver. I'd say its Back ToThe Future meets a little bit of Grease (without the singing).
Loved everything about this book, didn't want to put it down until I'd read everything single moment of it (i didn't even want to go to sleep). It's mostly good from Jack's POV but there's some old favorites thrown in too. There were parts that surprised me and others that made me smile a lot but it was a very enjoyable book, you should go pick it up now. And Class Of 1983 if you haven't read it already
Loved everything about this book, didn't want to put it down until I'd read everything single moment of it (i didn't even want to go to sleep). It's mostly good from Jack's POV but there's some old favorites thrown in too. There were parts that surprised me and others that made me smile a lot but it was a very enjoyable book, you should go pick it up now. And Class Of 1983 if you haven't read it already
December 12, 2019
Quantum Leap meets Peggy Sue Got Married meets its own unique vibe!
I got the opportunity to be a beta reader for Vix’s second book this summer and jumped at the chance because I loved the first one Class of 1983 so much!
I appreciated that we got to hear narration from Jack this time, as this really seemed to follow along his story in this book more than Peggy’s. It seemed a bit grittier because of that and being in L.A. which I really dug. Loved all the authentic 80’s references, Highway to Heaven!! I was watching that recently and was struck by how they were one of the first shows to really have proper disability representation! As someone who was born in 1983, I love that both books reference not the typical 80’s things and go for more obscure cultural touchstones that really make me smile. All. That. Smoking. Everywhere.
The love stories (triangles? squares?) are so engaging. I could feel what it was like to be that age and be so unsure and sure about things at the same time. I love that it deals with time traveling in both books in a way that avoids some common clichés and tropes. Such as, going back in time to the “good ole days” being ideal or that any tiny thing you do in the past will alter things so drastically in the future that the world is irreparably damaged. I think when stories do that it really puts a lot of ego into it and doesn’t leave room for people’s free will choices in life and/or healing. Making “wrong” decisions doesn’t signal doom, it just makes way for a new and different path. Time travel is approached in a way that’s both familiar but fresh which is what keeps you engaged in the book.
I had so much fun being engaged in this world and being invested in the characters and what will become of them in the next book! ❤️
I got the opportunity to be a beta reader for Vix’s second book this summer and jumped at the chance because I loved the first one Class of 1983 so much!
I appreciated that we got to hear narration from Jack this time, as this really seemed to follow along his story in this book more than Peggy’s. It seemed a bit grittier because of that and being in L.A. which I really dug. Loved all the authentic 80’s references, Highway to Heaven!! I was watching that recently and was struck by how they were one of the first shows to really have proper disability representation! As someone who was born in 1983, I love that both books reference not the typical 80’s things and go for more obscure cultural touchstones that really make me smile. All. That. Smoking. Everywhere.
The love stories (triangles? squares?) are so engaging. I could feel what it was like to be that age and be so unsure and sure about things at the same time. I love that it deals with time traveling in both books in a way that avoids some common clichés and tropes. Such as, going back in time to the “good ole days” being ideal or that any tiny thing you do in the past will alter things so drastically in the future that the world is irreparably damaged. I think when stories do that it really puts a lot of ego into it and doesn’t leave room for people’s free will choices in life and/or healing. Making “wrong” decisions doesn’t signal doom, it just makes way for a new and different path. Time travel is approached in a way that’s both familiar but fresh which is what keeps you engaged in the book.
I had so much fun being engaged in this world and being invested in the characters and what will become of them in the next book! ❤️
September 21, 2020
The Summer of 1984 is the second book in the Santolsa Saga Series by Victoria Maxwell. The first book in the series, The Class of 1983, is about a disillusioned senior at Saint Christopher’s High School. Magz can’t wait to graduate and get out of the sleepy desert town of Santolsa. Unwittingly, she is transported back in time to 1983 to find her destiny.
In book two, Magz’s best friend, Jack, has a huge crush on her. Magz (Peggy in 1983) has passed the key to the magical book room to Jack, but the young man has little inclination to travel in time until he ends up in a hospital from a beating inflicted by old high school tormentors. With key in hand, he transports back in time to the summer of 1984 to meet his destiny.
Back in time he meets up with Peggy who offers him a couch to sleep on, but Jack is too aware of her love for Sammy Ruthven. When a trip to LA pops up, Jack grabs it. It is in Los Angeles where he meets the love of his life and an idea to make a fortune. But Jack runs into problems and if he’s not careful he just may end up as a washed-up drunk.
What the author accomplished in The Class of 1983 is replicated with equal skill in The Summer of 1984. Maxwell creates a believable world with genuine teenage characters beginning their development into adulthood. If you enjoyed book one in the Santolsa Saga you’ll love book two. However, readers should read The Class of 1983 first for continuity and comprehension before the second book in the series.
In book two, Magz’s best friend, Jack, has a huge crush on her. Magz (Peggy in 1983) has passed the key to the magical book room to Jack, but the young man has little inclination to travel in time until he ends up in a hospital from a beating inflicted by old high school tormentors. With key in hand, he transports back in time to the summer of 1984 to meet his destiny.
Back in time he meets up with Peggy who offers him a couch to sleep on, but Jack is too aware of her love for Sammy Ruthven. When a trip to LA pops up, Jack grabs it. It is in Los Angeles where he meets the love of his life and an idea to make a fortune. But Jack runs into problems and if he’s not careful he just may end up as a washed-up drunk.
What the author accomplished in The Class of 1983 is replicated with equal skill in The Summer of 1984. Maxwell creates a believable world with genuine teenage characters beginning their development into adulthood. If you enjoyed book one in the Santolsa Saga you’ll love book two. However, readers should read The Class of 1983 first for continuity and comprehension before the second book in the series.
March 31, 2021
Sequel to Class of 1983. Loved this spin on teenage love triangles and time travel. I do wish there was a bit more pop culture in it. And omg the drama though. Seriously people need to learn how to listen in relationships! Loved it and excited for the third book...
May 25, 2024
Better written than Class of 1983. Jack was a more interesting main character than Magz, so I enjoyed his time travel adventures more.
September 19, 2020
I am so in love with this story, it flows and is well written just a pleasure to read and immerse myself in. To travel back to a more simple time is something I would love to do.
I can’t wait for the next book!
I can’t wait for the next book!
January 29, 2020
A great read!
Wonderful character development and an interesting development and continuation of the Santolsa Saga. I look forward to Maxwell's next book.
Wonderful character development and an interesting development and continuation of the Santolsa Saga. I look forward to Maxwell's next book.
March 16, 2021
I had read the Class of 1983, a couple of years ago, when it first came out and I really enjoyed the 80's vibes, the time-travelling and all. So when I decided to read this book I expected to get sucked into that era and also get some answers to previous cliffhangers.
Some of my expectations were met. Others didn't. I did travel back in time and I found the time-travelling dilemmas interesting. But the love stories lacked depth (in my opinion) and the solutions to all problems were a bit too convenient. Also, some questions remained unanswered (I guess to be answered in the next and final book), but that aside there were some things that didn't make sense to me (like plot holes but also logical reasoning issues/questions). Last but not least, the end chapter felt rushed and a bit out of the blue ...I was like "wait, what? Where did this come from and who is David?"...lol
Overall, it's an easy, fun read ... full of 80's nostalgia. But the story is not very solid. However, I'm still interested in reading the next book, if and when it comes out, to see how the author ties together all the loose ends. :)
Some of my expectations were met. Others didn't. I did travel back in time and I found the time-travelling dilemmas interesting. But the love stories lacked depth (in my opinion) and the solutions to all problems were a bit too convenient. Also, some questions remained unanswered (I guess to be answered in the next and final book), but that aside there were some things that didn't make sense to me (like plot holes but also logical reasoning issues/questions). Last but not least, the end chapter felt rushed and a bit out of the blue ...I was like "wait, what? Where did this come from and who is David?"...lol
Overall, it's an easy, fun read ... full of 80's nostalgia. But the story is not very solid. However, I'm still interested in reading the next book, if and when it comes out, to see how the author ties together all the loose ends. :)
June 14, 2021
I absolutely loved this book!! It has such a special place in my heart! I first found it on amazon along with the first book in the series and I knew it was for me because of the 80s vibe!! If you are a big fan of the 80s and time travel then this is the book for you!! It reminds me of back to the future which I loved as well!! So I would highly recommend because it is such a unique read and you won’t find another book like it! Also, it is so under hyped which it shouldn’t be because it is such an amazing read and it should be recognised and read by more people!!
Also, the author, Victoria Maxwell is so talented because she created this cover along with the first one.
This is by far my favourite book of all time and that’s why I give it a five star!!
Also, the author, Victoria Maxwell is so talented because she created this cover along with the first one.
This is by far my favourite book of all time and that’s why I give it a five star!!
December 25, 2019
Jacks greatest adventure.
Sometimes it seems that the second book in a series tries too hard to be just as good as the first one. That is NOT the case with Summer of 1984. It was genuinely just as amazing as Class of 1983. The way that Victoria brings the ‘80s, teenage angst and love into her writing make the pages turn so quickly. It was awesome to connect to Jack in this book and deepen my love for the other characters! Plot twists that I wasn’t expecting and moments where I said “awwww” out loud were not in short supply. Can’t wait for the 3rd book!!!
Sometimes it seems that the second book in a series tries too hard to be just as good as the first one. That is NOT the case with Summer of 1984. It was genuinely just as amazing as Class of 1983. The way that Victoria brings the ‘80s, teenage angst and love into her writing make the pages turn so quickly. It was awesome to connect to Jack in this book and deepen my love for the other characters! Plot twists that I wasn’t expecting and moments where I said “awwww” out loud were not in short supply. Can’t wait for the 3rd book!!!
March 22, 2020
I was a huge fan of Class of 1983 and was so excited to see Summer of 1984 released. It did not disappoint! I loved reading Jack's story and how it still intertwined with Peggy's. Reading this one was like visiting old friends and catching up on their lives. I so hope there is a third book coming - I feel like I need answers to Janet's story now!
December 28, 2019
3.5 stars
Really enjoyed it!
Really enjoyed it!
March 5, 2021
I was lucky enough to be a beta reader for Summer of 1984 and having thoroughly enjoyed Class of 1983 I jumped at the chance to get to read the sequel early. It was great to be back with the characters again, and see things from the perspective of Jack. I wasn't really a fan of him in the first book but his story definitely made me understand him more.
I've re-read this series several times and I'm looking forward to the third book being released.
I've re-read this series several times and I'm looking forward to the third book being released.
November 24, 2021
Last February, I read and absolutely fell in love with Victoria Maxwell’s ‘Class of 1983’ (if you haven’t read it or my gushing review, you must read both!) so as soon as I discovered there was a sequel, it was ordered immediately!
I wanted to read this in the same sunny climates I’d read the first novel so I waited until my next foreign holiday. And I waited. And then Covid insisted I wait a little more. But finally my holiday to Portugal and this incredible book came together like a match made in 80s heaven!
So, what did I love about this book? So many things that I couldn’t put it down and stormed through the whole thing in a day!
The characters Maxwell revisits are just as fun, brooding and relatable as they were in 1983, and it was absolutely thrilling to ‘catch up’ with them and be introduced to some new faces. While this novel does follow Jack’s adventures in time travel, we also find out what’s been going on with our original characters, Peggy, Lacey and of course, the classic heartthrob Sammy, since our first visit to the 80s. Their love lives, their journeys to new, vibrant places and essentially their coming of age are conveyed at a mile a minute, so there isn’t a single second to get bored of this ‘St Elmo’s Fire’ style tale as they tackle life beyond high school!
In short, take a trip back to a simpler, yet truly invigorating time with Victoria Maxwell’s Santolsa Saga, and fall madly in love!
I wanted to read this in the same sunny climates I’d read the first novel so I waited until my next foreign holiday. And I waited. And then Covid insisted I wait a little more. But finally my holiday to Portugal and this incredible book came together like a match made in 80s heaven!
So, what did I love about this book? So many things that I couldn’t put it down and stormed through the whole thing in a day!
The characters Maxwell revisits are just as fun, brooding and relatable as they were in 1983, and it was absolutely thrilling to ‘catch up’ with them and be introduced to some new faces. While this novel does follow Jack’s adventures in time travel, we also find out what’s been going on with our original characters, Peggy, Lacey and of course, the classic heartthrob Sammy, since our first visit to the 80s. Their love lives, their journeys to new, vibrant places and essentially their coming of age are conveyed at a mile a minute, so there isn’t a single second to get bored of this ‘St Elmo’s Fire’ style tale as they tackle life beyond high school!
In short, take a trip back to a simpler, yet truly invigorating time with Victoria Maxwell’s Santolsa Saga, and fall madly in love!
January 2, 2024
It was so wonderful to return to Santolsa in the 80s. Seeing Peggy trying to reconnect with Sammy after the events of Class of 1983 and catching up with some of the other characters was great. I love it when it’s easy to slip back into a world created with panache and skill. All the characters take on personalities and add to the main plot.
The interludes with the nuns are still frustrating and bring me out of the story, perhaps their tale would best be told as a prequel.
Jack has it rough in 2017, especially without Magz/Peggy around and a clingy ex. After a brutal beating from high school bullies and non-consensual gang tattoo by said clingy ex, he recovers and decides to use the key given to him by Peggy.
I’m glad Peggy and Jack didn’t get together. Peggy and Sammy fit much better. Jack meets Peggy’s best friend in the 80s, Lacey and the proverbial sparks fly.
There’s a bit of confusing info in this installment, especially around the idea of timelines when Jack talks to his older, wizened, and bitter self. Is there a timeline where Sammy dies instead of Nick? Does that mean there’s a timeline where they both survive? Can old Jack convince young Jack to do things differently? How did Jack not catch on when his parents referred to Magz as Peggy?
Other questions I have are; did Nick deliberately have a car accident like Lacey wonders? Did Janet go back further in time at one point after mentioning losing someone in Vietnam? Was Janet ever tempted to look up her parents when she got to the 80s? Coming from the 90s, her parents would have been giving birth to her in the late 70s or early 80s. Will Janet’s story be next, after the abrupt ending of Jack’s story, there’s a snippet of Janet’s past/present/future with one of the nuns.
I’m still confused about the Order of Eights and how they went from portal protectors to a gang and what the significance of Jack being one after a tattoo he didn’t want has to do with the story, is there any responsibility on his part toward the portal and the Nuns? A lot of unanswered questions which I’m hoping will be further explained if the Nuns get their own book.
I found it hard to like Jack. I wasn’t the biggest fan of his in Class of 1983 and became even less of a fan in Summer of 1984. He’s very selfish and expects more than he’s due and comes across ungrateful. I wish we had a glimpse of adult Peggy and Sammy.
My favorite quote from the book is “You pretend to be gay long enough and a naked Sammy Ruthven appears in your bed.”
While I liked the surrounding characters more and the back and forth confused me and found the ending very abrupt, this is a great book and series if you love Back to the Future, Peggy Sue Got Married, and the 80s. I’m hoping for more books and would love to read Janet’s story.
The interludes with the nuns are still frustrating and bring me out of the story, perhaps their tale would best be told as a prequel.
Jack has it rough in 2017, especially without Magz/Peggy around and a clingy ex. After a brutal beating from high school bullies and non-consensual gang tattoo by said clingy ex, he recovers and decides to use the key given to him by Peggy.
I’m glad Peggy and Jack didn’t get together. Peggy and Sammy fit much better. Jack meets Peggy’s best friend in the 80s, Lacey and the proverbial sparks fly.
There’s a bit of confusing info in this installment, especially around the idea of timelines when Jack talks to his older, wizened, and bitter self. Is there a timeline where Sammy dies instead of Nick? Does that mean there’s a timeline where they both survive? Can old Jack convince young Jack to do things differently? How did Jack not catch on when his parents referred to Magz as Peggy?
Other questions I have are; did Nick deliberately have a car accident like Lacey wonders? Did Janet go back further in time at one point after mentioning losing someone in Vietnam? Was Janet ever tempted to look up her parents when she got to the 80s? Coming from the 90s, her parents would have been giving birth to her in the late 70s or early 80s. Will Janet’s story be next, after the abrupt ending of Jack’s story, there’s a snippet of Janet’s past/present/future with one of the nuns.
I’m still confused about the Order of Eights and how they went from portal protectors to a gang and what the significance of Jack being one after a tattoo he didn’t want has to do with the story, is there any responsibility on his part toward the portal and the Nuns? A lot of unanswered questions which I’m hoping will be further explained if the Nuns get their own book.
I found it hard to like Jack. I wasn’t the biggest fan of his in Class of 1983 and became even less of a fan in Summer of 1984. He’s very selfish and expects more than he’s due and comes across ungrateful. I wish we had a glimpse of adult Peggy and Sammy.
My favorite quote from the book is “You pretend to be gay long enough and a naked Sammy Ruthven appears in your bed.”
While I liked the surrounding characters more and the back and forth confused me and found the ending very abrupt, this is a great book and series if you love Back to the Future, Peggy Sue Got Married, and the 80s. I’m hoping for more books and would love to read Janet’s story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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